|
(click to enlarge) |
|
|
|
Round 4 (final round) of the 2008 Indonesia EP Touring National Championship was held at the JITC Senayan track, using the same track as the previous series but with a different (more technical) layout. Traction was low and it was dusty. The organizers sprayed sugar water before the start of racing to give a bit more traction, but only it was only on the racing line; if you got off the racing line your car collected dust and sand!
During qualifying, Suwardi was able to get consistent runs of 15 laps in the three heats, with Dani following closely with 15 laps also. Didi had some troubles with battery runtime and was only able to make 14 laps. In heat 3, traction was good so most cars performed well but a car hit Suwardi on the first lap, costing him 9 seconds; he couldnâ™t get a better result compared to previous heats. Dani also had an accident in lap 2 which cost him his second 15-lap heat. Didi was unable to complete the heat due to runtime issues.
Qualifications results:
1. Suwardi Suliandy XRAY T2â™008
2. Dani XRAY T2â™008
3. Didi Kartanegara XRAY T2â™008
4. Chandra XRAY T2â™007
5. Albert Afendy
6. Ronald Kasengkang
7. Doddy XRAY T2â™008
8. Robert Hendrawan
9. Heri XRAY T2â™008
10. Soni Cuhairy
The weather suddenly changed during the lunch break, with heavy rain pouring down for nearly 2 hours. After a 60-minute delay, the organizer decided to continue and finish the race. Of course, traction on the track surface was very minimal.
In Final 1, Didi overtook Suwardi and Dani in the first lap as both were struggling with their âśdriftingâť cars. This was highly entertaining for the spectators, with most cars making a good show of drifting with high-power brushless motors for most of the race. At the last minute, drivers were able to start controlling their cars and close in on Didi. Suwardi finished in 2nd place only 3 seconds behind Didi, and Dani finished in 3rd place only 5 seconds behind.
For Final 2, Suwardi made some setup changes to his car: released the rear swaybar, softened up the rear springs, changed ESC profile to decrease the carâ™s responsiveness and increased rear traction. With these changes, Suwardi was able to maintain the lead for the entire final. Didi had a fast pace in the last half of the final, and he finished in 2nd place only 3 seconds behind Suwardi. |
|
(click to enlarge) |
|
|
|
Final 3 now became very important for Didi and Suwardi since both had the same points⦠and Dani could not be forgotten as he could slip in from behind to snatch the trophy. The start was clean, and the running order was Suwardi, Dani, Didi, Doddy, Ronald and the rest of the field. At the 2-minute mark, Didi passed Dani and closed in on Suwardi. The last 2 laps were very tense as both contenders battles bumper-to-bumper. At the end, Suwardi crossed the line in 1st place, Didi was in 2nd place (only 0.3 sec behind), and Dani took a comfortable 3rd place only 2.9 sec behind the leader. Doddy was able secure 4th place, and Chandra took 6th place.
Final results:
1. Suwardi Suliandy XRAY T2â™008
2. Didi Kartanegara XRAY T2â™008
3. Dani XRAY T2â™008
4. Ronald Kasengkang
5. Doddy Bachtiar XRAY T2â™008
6. Chandra XRAY T2â™007
7. Mico Ong
8. Heri XRAY T2â™008
9. Albert Afendy
10. Sonny Cuhairy
SUMMARY
At long last after four rounds of National Championship, we had remarkable results by placing six XRAY cars the Top 10, and seizing the Top 5positions in final points standings:
FINAL STANDING POINTS â“ 2008 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
1. Suwardi Suliandy XRAY T2â™008
2. Dani XRAY T2â™008
3. Didi Kartanegara XRAY T2â™008
4. Doddy Bachtiar XRAY T2â™008
5. Chandra XRAY T2â™007
6. Ronald
7. Imam Liyanto
8. Robert Hendrawan
9. Toto Kastawinata XRAY T2â™008
10. Mico Ong |
|
